Tay-sachs (Noun)
Meaning
A hereditary disorder of lipid metabolism occurring most frequently in individuals of Jewish descent in eastern Europe; accumulation of lipids in nervous tissue results in death in early childhood.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- Tay-Sachs disease is a rare genetic disorder that affects the nerve cells, causing a progressive destruction of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
- The couple was devastated to learn that their child had been diagnosed with Tay-Sachs, a disease that would inevitably lead to a short and painful life.
- Tay-Sachs is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme hexosaminidase A, which is necessary for the breakdown of certain lipids in the body.
- The genetic test revealed that the young couple were both carriers of the Tay-Sachs gene, putting their future children at risk of inheriting the disease.
- In the 1960s and 1970s, Tay-Sachs was a major public health concern in the Ashkenazi Jewish community, where the disease was most prevalent.